Positive thread delivery device for textile machines

ABSTRACT

A positive thread delivery device comprising a rotatable thread storage means upon which a number of turns of thread can be wound so that thread can be received tangentially and positively delivered tangentially upon rotation of the storage means, and a drive connection on the storage means connectable to a drive connection on a textile machine for rotating the storage means according to the thread consumption by the machine. The invention also includes a method of delivering thread to a textile machine in which thread is drawn from a supply by a positive feed storage device upon which a supply of thread is maintained, the storage device being driven in synchronism with the machine to deliver thread to the machine at the same rate as its consumption rate by the machine.

nited States Patent 1 Rosen POSITIVE THREAD DELIVERY DEVICE FOR TEXTILE MACHINES [76] lnventor: Karl lsac Joel Rosen, S-52300,

Ulricehamn, Sweden [22] Filed: 7 Nov. 24, 1972 [21] Appl. No.2 309,289

[ 1 Aug. 6,1974

Primary Examiner-John W. Huckert Assistant Examiner-Milton S. Gerstein Attorney, Agent, or FirmWoodhams, Blanchard and Flynn [57] ABSTRACT A positive thread delivery device comprising a rotatable thread storage means upon which a number of turns of thread can be wound so that thread can be received tangentially and positively delivered tangentially upon rotation of the storage means, and a drive connection on the storage means connectable to a drive connection on a textile machine for rotating the storage means according to the thread consumption by the machine. The invention also includes a method of delivering thread to a textile machine in which thread is drawn from a supply by a positive feed storage device upon which a supply of thread is maintained, the storage device being driven in synchronism with the machine to deliver thread to the machine at the same rate as its consumption rate by the machine.

10 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure POSITIVE THREAD DELIVERY DEVICE FOR TEXTILE MACHINES FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a thread delivery device for the positive delivery of thread to working elements of textile machines.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Positive thread delivery means the delivery of thread to a textile machine with a limited quantity of thread per unit of time. The textile machine can then only consume as much thread as is permitted by the thread delivery device.

Positive thread delivery devices are already known in which the thread is clamped between a rotatably mounted drum and a belt wound about the drum and is delivered by rotation of the belt. It is also known to wind the thread around a rotating drum so that the thread tension produces so much friction between the drum and the wound thread that the textile machine can only consume a quantity of thread equal to the rotation of the drum. These known thread delivery devices operate very well, but are costly in construction. Moreover they have the disadvantage that there must be a long thread path between the thread delivery device and the textile machine in order to prevent the thread ends from being threaded into the textile product when the thread is broken off the thread delivery device. This long thread path in turn necessitates numerous thread guiding elements and the thread delivery device consequently occupies too much space.

The problem underlying the invention is to provide a positive thread delivery device which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and requires a minimum of space for assembly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the invention there is provided a positive thread delivery device. comprising a rotatable thread storage means upon which a number of turns of thread can be wound so that thread can be received tangentially and positively delivered tangentially upon rotation of the storage means, and a drive connection on the storage means connectable to a drive connection on a textile machine for rotating said storage means according to the thread consumption by the machine.

Preferably the storage means comprises means for displacing the turns of thread axially along the storage means as it rotates. This feature may be inherent in the shape or construction of the storage drum. However the preferred storage means, which may be a drum, spool or like rotatable member, includes a member which presses upon the turns of thread to displace them axially. Preferably said member extends through a discontinuity in the wall of the storage means and rotates with the storage means.

Preferably said member extends through the wall of the storage means at a plurality of circumferentially spaced locations. Thus the member may be a disc or like member which is generally symmetrical in plan view and rotates with the storage means. In the preferred embodiment the member is rotatable about an axis which is tilted with respect to the axis of rotation of the storage means. The invention includes a positive thread delivery device as described above connected to a textile machine so that the storage means or drum rotates in synchronism with the machine drive to deliver thread according to its requirement.

The invention also includes a method of delivering thread to a textile machine in which the thread is drawn from a supply by a positive feed storage device upon which a supply of thread is maintained, the storage device being driven in synchronism with the machine to deliver thread to the machine at the same rate as its consumption rate by the machine.

In the preferred embodiment to be described, the device comprises a drum which can be driven at a constant rotational speed in synchronisation with the working cycle of the working elements of the textile machine, onto which drum the thread running off a feed bobbin can be tangentially wound and off which the thread can also be tangentially wound, and by a disc which is rotatably mounted inside the drum and the radial arms of which project outwards through longitudinal slots in the wall of the drum, said disc constantly lying in a. plane which forms a small angle relative to a plane extending perpendicular to the drum axis. The thread is delivered in the vicinity of the disc so that the thread turns are displaced by the disc in the axial direction of the drum.

A thread supply or store is formed on the drum by the thread turns being displaced by means of the inclined disc along the wall of the drum so that, should the thread be broken off between the drum and the supply bobbin, there is no danger that the loose thread end will be drawn into the textile article. As a thread supply is stored on the drum, no precautions need to be taken to ensure a long thread path between the delivery device and the operating position on the textile machine. The device can therefore be assembled in the minimum amount of space. It is also simple in construction and economical to manufacture.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING A preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the only FIGURE of the drawing which shows a partial side view and a partial vertical section.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION In the drawing reference numeral 1 designates a thread storage means in the form of a drum which consists of a lower cover plate In, an upper cover plate lb and rods or bars 1c fixedly connecting said cover plates. The rods are arranged around the circumference of the drum with intermediate discontinuities or slot-like axially extending spaces 1d formed between the rods so that the drum 1 forms a kind of cage of rods. The drum 1 is rotatably mounted on an axle 2 which is nonrotatably retained in a frame which is shown at 3. In addition, a drive connection in the form of a pulley 4 is connected to the thread drum 1 for rotation therewith by clutch pins 5, the pulley 4 being rotatably supported on the axle 2. Mounted inside the drum 1 is a thread displacing member in the form of a disc 6 having radial arms 6a which project outwards through the intermediate spaces 1d between the rods 10 and are preferably connected together outside the drum by a ring 6b as shown. The arms may be parts of the disc defined by apertures through which the rods pass, or they may be spoke-like. As can be seen in the drawing, the plane of the disc 6 forms an angle a relative to a plane E extending perpendicular to the axis of the axle 2,

which angle a can be of the order of to 30. The disc 6 is supported on a ball bearing 7 which is accommodated in a groove 8 cut at an angle to the axis of the axle 2. In this way the disc 6 can rotate with the drum 1 but is constantly maintained in its inclined position relative to the plane E, that is, the disk 6 is fixed relative to the drum 1.

The thread storage drum 1 can be rotatably driven by means of a belt 9 via the pulley 4. The belt 9 moves over a second pulley 10 which is set into rotation by a main drive motor 11 of a textile machine. In the illustrated embodiment, the textile machine is intended to be a circular knitting machine, its needle cylinder being indicated at 12, which cylinder 12 is rotatably driven by the main drive motor 11 in a conventional manner as diagrammatically illustrated by the line 16. The rotational drive of the drum 1 is thereby effected synchronously with the rotation of the needle cylinder 12 so that thread is delivered to a needle at the same rate as its consumption by the needle. A thread F running off a supply bobbin which is schematically represented at 13 is tangentially fed to the drum 1 by a fixed thread guide in the form of an eyelet 14. Thread delivery to the storage drum 1 is effected in the vicinity of the disc or, more strictly, at the level of the centre of the disc 6. The thread turn which is first formed is forced axially downwards by the disc 6, which retains its inclined position, but otherwise rotates with the drum 1 so that a thread store V forms on the wall of the drum. Preferably, as shown, the turns of thread in store V are side by side without overlap and are axially spaced apart. The thread is in turn drawn tangentially out of this thread store through a fixed thread guide 15 and fed to the needles 12a of the needle cylinder on the knitting machine. Only the same amount of thread can be wound off the drum 1 as is wound on, thereby ensuring positive thread delivery.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

l. A thread delivery device for the positive delivery of thread to the working elements of a textile machine, comprising drum means which can be driven at a constant rotational speed synchronously with the working cycle of the working elements of the textile machine, onto which drum means the thread running off a feed bobbin can be wound in a tangential direction and off which the thread can also be tangentially wound, and a disc fixed relative to the drum means and including radial arms which project outward through longitudinal slots in the sidewall of the drum means, said disc being constantly retained in a plane which forms a small angle relative to a plane extending substantially perpendicular to the rotational axis of the drum means, the thread delivery being effected in the vicinity of the disc so that the thread turns are displaced by the disc in the axial direction of the drum means, and drive means for drivingly connecting said drum means to a machine drive associated with the textile machine so that the drum means rotates in synchronism therewith.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said disc forms an angle of the order of 10 to 30 relative to the plane perpendicular to the rotational axis of the drum means.

3. A device according to claim 1, including shaft means rotatably supporting said drum means thereon,

and said disc including a central hub portion positioned within the interior of said drum means and antifriction bearing means coacting between the hub portion of said disc and said shaft means, said shaft means having a groove formed therein which extends at an acute angle relative to the longitudinal axis of said shaft means, said groove accommodating therein said antifriction bearing means.

4. A device according to claim 1, said device being connected to a textile knitting machine so that the drum means rotates in synchronism with the machine drive to deliver thread according to its requirement.

5. A device as claimed in claim 1, further including means associated with said drum means for withdrawing thread from said drum means in a tangential direction.

6. A device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the textile machine is a circular knitting machine having a needle cylinder rotatably driven by said drive means.

7. in a circular knitting machine having a rotatable needle cylinder and a plurality of thread processing elements for knitting a thread, a machine drive for rotating said needle cylinder, a bobbin for supplying a thread to said thread processing elements, and a thread supply device associated with the thread between the bobbin and the thread processing elements for effecting a positive delivery of the thread to the processing elements, the improvement wherein said positive thread supply device includes:

drum means mounted for rotation about an axis and adapted to have a thread wound thereon as supplied from said bobbin for forming on said drum means a thread supply including several thread windings;

disc means nonrotatably connected to said drum means and rotatable in synchronism therewith, said disc means projecting outwardly beyond the periphery of said drum means for engaging the thread windings on said drum means for creating said thread supply, said disc means being fixedly retained relative to said drum means in a plane which forms a small acute angle relative to a plane which extends substantially perpendicular to the rotational axis of said drum means;

the thread as supplied to said drum means from said bobbin being wound on said drum means in the vicinity of said disc means so that the thread windings as wound on said drum means are displaced by said disc means in the axial direction of said drum means; and

drive means for drivingly connecting said drum means to said machine drive for causing said drum means to rotate in synchronism with said needle cylinder.

8. A combination according to claim 7, further including guide means coacting with the thread for causing it to be withdrawn from said drum means in a direction which is substantially tangential thereto.

9. A combination according to claim 8, wherein said drum means is substantially cylindrical and has a plurality of axially elongated slots formed in the periphery thereof, and said disc means being positioned within the interior of said drum means and having arm portions projecting radially outwardly through said slots for engaging the thread windings which are disposed on the periphery of said drum means.

10. A combination according to claim 8, wherein said disc means is fixed relative to said drum means so as to form an acute angle of the order of 10 to 30 relative to the plane perpendicular to the rotational axis.

rm STATES PATENT UFFICE CE'HFEQA F EQTWN Patent No. 3 827 645 Dated Anqust 6 1974 lnventorfiea Karl Isac Joel Rosen It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Between lines [21] and [52] as appearing in the left column of the title page, insert:

--[30] Foreign Application Priority Data November 29, 1971 Germany G 71 44 902.0--.

Signed and sealed this 18th day of February 1975 (SEAL) Atteste C. MARSHALL DANN RUTH Ca MASON Commissioner of Patents Arresting Officer and Trademarks FORM PO-IOSO (O-69) USCOMM,DC 603764369 us. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1969 o-ass-aaa 

1. A thread delivery device for the positive delivery of thread to the working elements of a textile machine, comprising drum means which can be driven at a constant rotational speed synchronously with the working cycle of the working elements of the textile machine, onto which drum means the thread running off a feed bobbin can be wound in a tangential direction and off which the thread can also be tangentially wound, and a disc fixed relative to the drum means and including radial arms which project outward through longitudinal slots in the sidewall of the drum means, said disc being constantly retained in a plane which forms a small angle relative to a plane extending substantially perpendicular to the rotational axis of the drum means, the thread delivery being effected in the vicinity of the disc so that the thread turns are displaced by the disc in the axial direction of the drum means, and drive means for drivingly connecting said drum means to a machine drive associated with the textile machine so that the drum means rotates in synchronism therewith.
 2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said disc forms an angle of the order of 10* to 30* relative to the plane perpendicular to the rotational axis of the drum means.
 3. A device according to claim 1, including shaft means rotatably supporting said drum means thereon, and said disc including a central hub portion positioned within the interior of said drum means and antifriction bearing means coacting between the hub portion of said disc and said shaft means, said shaft means having a groove formed therein which extends at an acute angle relative to the longitudinal axis of said shaft means, said groove accommodating therein said antifriction bearing means.
 4. A device according to claim 1, said device being connected to a textile knitting machine so that the drum means rotates in synchronism with the machine drive to deliver thread according to its requirement.
 5. A device as claimed in claim 1, further including means associated with said drum means for withdrawing thread from saId drum means in a tangential direction.
 6. A device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the textile machine is a circular knitting machine having a needle cylinder rotatably driven by said drive means.
 7. In a circular knitting machine having a rotatable needle cylinder and a plurality of thread processing elements for knitting a thread, a machine drive for rotating said needle cylinder, a bobbin for supplying a thread to said thread processing elements, and a thread supply device associated with the thread between the bobbin and the thread processing elements for effecting a positive delivery of the thread to the processing elements, the improvement wherein said positive thread supply device includes: drum means mounted for rotation about an axis and adapted to have a thread wound thereon as supplied from said bobbin for forming on said drum means a thread supply including several thread windings; disc means nonrotatably connected to said drum means and rotatable in synchronism therewith, said disc means projecting outwardly beyond the periphery of said drum means for engaging the thread windings on said drum means for creating said thread supply, said disc means being fixedly retained relative to said drum means in a plane which forms a small acute angle relative to a plane which extends substantially perpendicular to the rotational axis of said drum means; the thread as supplied to said drum means from said bobbin being wound on said drum means in the vicinity of said disc means so that the thread windings as wound on said drum means are displaced by said disc means in the axial direction of said drum means; and drive means for drivingly connecting said drum means to said machine drive for causing said drum means to rotate in synchronism with said needle cylinder.
 8. A combination according to claim 7, further including guide means coacting with the thread for causing it to be withdrawn from said drum means in a direction which is substantially tangential thereto.
 9. A combination according to claim 8, wherein said drum means is substantially cylindrical and has a plurality of axially elongated slots formed in the periphery thereof, and said disc means being positioned within the interior of said drum means and having arm portions projecting radially outwardly through said slots for engaging the thread windings which are disposed on the periphery of said drum means.
 10. A combination according to claim 8, wherein said disc means is fixed relative to said drum means so as to form an acute angle of the order of 10* to 30* relative to the plane perpendicular to the rotational axis. 